Among his responsibilities at the Tascosa High School library in Amarillo, Texas, librarian Richard McGowan oversees the sixty computers available via two computer labs to more than two-thousand students spread across the relatively large campus. What’s more, he also has the job of successfully integrating the district’s new technology purchase: Cengage Learning’s Gale suite of products, a cloud-based platform that provides digital content, tools, and services designed to promote learning and information discovery in libraries.

First, McGowan took the step of gathering the school’s English teachers and department chairs for a week-long ‘get to know Gale’ training session. During the session, he built their awareness and understanding of the the new tools at their disposal, which helped them see the ways that Gale’s reference materials platform can help them produce improved student outcomes.

Once instructors grasped the power of their Gale resources, McGowan had to communicate the benefits to students. He engages students early and often, running sessions during which he demonstrates the new databases and research tools. Thanks to his efforts, students have become more comfortable accessing and using these resources, which has ultimately resulted in improvements in the quality of their work.

In the following success story, you’ll read how Gale’s solutions have helped improve students’ academic performance, by helping them narrow the focus of their research and produce more thorough and balanced work. You’ll also see how engagement has surged, as students access reference materials at home and regardless of where they travel within the district. What’s more, you’ll learn how McGowan “marketed” the services to students, continually boosting their awareness of all that Gale (and, of course, his library) has to offer them.